Scalar Wave Paintings: A New Approach to Postdigital Art

Abstract The author has developed a new kind of artwork that he calls the “scalar wave painting.” These works use specially prepared canvas, paint and lighting environments to create optical interference with digital cameras. The works appear white to the naked eye but emit frequencies that are similar to quantum scalar waves and take on multiple, changing hues when viewed through a digital camera. This work is of artistic interest because each photograph of the same object will look different. Therefore, it challenges perception and changes the one-to-one relationship between object and representation at the center of much of art and technology theory.